My hunting partner scored first at 8:30 opening morning. By the time I made it to where he had dropped his animal he had it half way worked up.
It was a very nice low 300 class bull.
Determined to get an elk of my own I walked in before dawn to a spot where I would have good visibility. My goal was to monitor two openings on the far side of a brush choked ridge that was heavily used.
I had picked the right place. The sound of antlers on tree's is unmistakable in the pre-dawn darkness. Similar to the hollow clattering of children playing with wooden swords. This animal was close and moving towards me. As I sat there in the dark I was screaming silently for it to "SLOW DOWN" it was still dark. My prayers were answered as the far ridge went silent and dawn slowly crept its way up from the east.
I sat for another hour afraid to blink. The clearings I was watching were small and elk move quickly. To get a shot would require quick identification if the antlers and good shot placement. A bad shot would mean the end of my season, tracking a wounded animal in brush so thick and tangled it takes an hour to move 100 yards.
Then a huge pale tan form to appeared and was gone as it stepped between two tree's. My heart was beating hard in my chest. I was on my rifle with good position 170 yards and legal shooting light. The massive tan shape stepped in to the second clearing head down feeding as it walked along. My window of opportunity was quickly evaporating the clearing was only 30 feet wide. "Give me some antlers" I was thinking anything is fine. I have 3 kids I don't hunt for trophies I am in it for the meat. Then he raised his head I saw the flash of dirty white tips on chocolate brown bone. That was all I needed.
2 Tags in camp and 2 elk in the bag.
